St.George Queensland Reds head back to junior Rugby

Grassroots Rugby clubs in South East Queensland will experience an influx of enthusiastic new participants this week, as members of the St.George Queensland Reds head out into the community to assist with junior training sessions.

Whether it is to hold tackle bags, run water or hand out high fives and autographs, the #RedsInTheCommunity event will see members of the Reds squad head to a club this Friday night to lend a hand, as they make the most of the June Test window.

Reds captain Scott Higginbotham, who will attend Noosa Dolphins junior training, said: "The guys are really excited to get out and about in the community this Friday night.

"Junior Rugby is such an important part of the Rugby Family and this is a good opportunity for us to meet the juniors, help out with some coaching and also thank the parents and volunteers for everything they do for our great game.

"It's fantastic to see so many juniors involved in the game. Hopefully we can help them learn a few new skills and also contribute to a fun environment. At the end of the day, the most important part of the game is enjoyment."

The Reds will be out in force, with 27 players visiting 21 different clubs, heading as far north as the Noosa Dolphins, south to Surfers Paradise, west to the Ipswich Rangers and east to Wynnum Bugs - among many others.

Queensland Rugby Union's Head of Participation, Rama Chand, said: "We're really pleased to be able to welcome members of the St.George Queensland Reds into the community game this week, they'll bring plenty of excitement and expertise to assist our local community coaches with their junior training.

"The game is doing well at the grassroots level. This was evident just last week when we had 120-plus kids and their parents turn up to Ballymore in rainy conditions for a coaching clinic with David Campese ahead of the Qantas Wallabies Test. We have healthy numbers of juniors registered with their local clubs and we're also experiencing significant growth and interest through the recent addition of Foxtel Touch 7s, a new non-contact format of the game.

"Rugby is as much about the experiences it provides as it is about the 80 minutes on the field, so we're thrilled to be able to present such a unique opportunity to these junior participants and their families, who are an important part of the fabric of Queensland Rugby."

This Friday's visits follow on from last weekend's community engagement, where 19 Reds returned to their clubs to play Queensland Premier Rugby. Fans will see similar numbers return to club Rugby this weekend, as most players not involved with the Wallabies or Junior Wallabies are being made available.

The #RedsInTheCommunity event will take place this Friday 15 June, with most sessions running from 5:30-7:30pm.